Precious Metals

From mountains to plains, forests to tundra, Canada’s wilderness is home to an incredible diversity of life; it is a place of perpetual beauty, where discoveries and unexpected encounters can provide soul-stirring moments of tranquility and reflection. The three-coin Reflections of Wildlife series continues its celebration of this natural beauty through depictions of a quiet, contemplative moment in the wild.

A day in the life of the Bald Eagle is filled with activity from dusk until dawn and beyond. From the moment it awakens, the eagle is at work—tending to its nest, soaring high, hunting, feeding its young, and taking pause to eat and rest. Now, while he is at rest, let’s take a moment to study this apex hunter’s fearsome countenance.
Dominated by a massive, sharply curved yellow beak, the adult eagle’s distinctive head is covered to the neck with long, smooth white feathers. The arrangement of the feathers above its large golden eyes gives the adult eagle a frowning appearance that is perhaps a factor in the bird’s symbolic associations with power. The most important attribute on this iconic head, however, is the eyes. It is this gifted vision that empowers the eagle to spot relatively small prey underwater or in grassy plains while soaring hundreds of metres in the air—despite these prey animals’ natural camouflage.

The caribou and the maple leaf are the defining images of a nation: one is a national icon and a symbol of Canada’s North, the other predates the flag as an emblem of this land, its people, and our hope for the future. The Royal Canadian Mint reflects on a nation’s 150-year journey—and beyond—through the fusion of two iconic symbols that continue to inspire admiration by proudly representing all that is Canada.

More than one-quarter of Canada’s population lives within the Lake Ontario watershed. Bordered by the province of Ontario and New York State, Lake Ontario is the final gateway in the Great Lakes’ hydrologic journey to the Atlantic Ocean.

Green and four-leafed, the shamrock is instantly recognized as an Irish symbol associated with the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations held in many Canadian communities every March 17. For many, the four-leaf clover is just as symbolic—a centuries-old omen of good things to come, as celebrated with this fine silver coin.

The glorious Canadian maple and our beloved Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada—two icons that for more than sixty years have symbolized our country and our collective sense of identity. The Royal Canadian Mint proudly celebrates the remarkable reign of our Queen with a new series featuring the four effigies of Her Majesty that have appeared on Canadian circulated coinage since 1953.

Explore Canada as you’ve never seen it before with this captivating coin that draws you in to discover more than 50 images that are Canadian icons in their own right, or reflective of the artist’s personal Canadian experiences—like time spent under the Yukon’s midnight sun, as shown within the centre of this coin.
These images are reminiscent of comic book illustrations, but that’s where their similarity to comic books ends. Instead of being linear they spiral out from the centre, inviting you to create your own adventure as you search for the initials of the province or territory you call home.
What else will you find? Canadian fauna and flora; First Nations culture and art; historic portraits and images; and various logos. Every time you explore this coin, you will see something new.